Police on Tuesday afternoon, 10 November 2020 swiftly arrested two male suspects aged 16 and 36 in Tsietsi Phase 6 in Eden Park, following the discovery of the body of a nine-year-old girl who had been missing since around 07:00 that morning.
According to the mother of the deceased, she had sent her nine-year old daughter to a nearby tuckshop at around 07:00 and that was the last time the child was seen as she did not return home.
The child was however, only reported missing at Eden Park SAPS around 14:00 and police immediately activated a multi-disciplinary search party and together with some community members, started searching for the child.
At the tuckshop where the child had gone, the 16-year-old suspect who assists there could not provide satisfactory answers on being questioned about the whereabouts of the missing child and this is when the search was extended to his room where the body of the nine-year-old girl was found with a stab wound to the upper body, wrapped in plastic.
The minor suspect and the 36-year-old tuckshop owner were subsequently both arrested and it was found that the latter suspect was in possession of a fraudulent RSA identity document (ID).
In the meantime, police have since warned the community to refrain from acts of mob justice after the 27-year-old wife of the older suspect was allegedly attacked and injured by community members just after the arrests. Police were able to rescue the woman who was then transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention.
Further investigation into this case saw police also arrest the injured woman as an accomplice and she remains in hospital under police guard.
The two male suspects are expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Magistrate Court on 12 November 2020, with the third suspect, woman, appearing in absentia. The three have been charged with kidnapping, murder, and contravention of the Immigration Act.
The public is reminded that there is absolutely no waiting period to report a missing person. The SAPS commits to giving priority attention to cases where women, children and other vulnerable persons are victims.
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